Glorious beaches, jungles filled with wildlife, teeming backwaters and exotic costumed temple dramas – Kerala ticks just about every box. Its lush beauty is simply a complement to its rich traditions, legends and culture. ‘India-lite’ is how the state, in the far southwest of India, is often billed in tourist literature. The appealing thing about Kerala from a visitor’s point of view is that if offers an enticing combination of beaches, backwaters and hills. When you tire of lounging on soft, surf-lashed sand, you can head off on backwater cruises in converted wooden rice barges, venture up into the cooler climes of the Western Ghat mountains for a stay on a tea plantation, or go elephant and tiger spotting in any number of remote national parks. Kerala’s rich tradition of elaborately costumed ritual theatre – notably the masked drama form, Kathakali – adds yet another dimension to travelling in the state, as do its vibrant temple festivals, featuring spectacular processions of caparisoned elephants, drum orchestras and firework displays
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